


A Tough Proposal To Make

by notafamousperson



Series: zimbits proposals [2]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Angst, But Only a Little Bit - Freeform, Fluff, Head Injury, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Marriage Proposal, POV Jack, it's only really mentioned in one part, not jack or bitty and it's not graphic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-08
Updated: 2017-01-08
Packaged: 2018-09-15 15:29:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9241616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notafamousperson/pseuds/notafamousperson
Summary: “Bits, I have a question,” he began before he could talk himself out of it.“Sure, sweetie, what is it?” Bitty replied, smiling at Jack as he took his hand. Jack swallowed.





	

People at surrounding tables wore their best formal attire. Jack adjusted his collar and fixed the sleeves on his suit jacket, patting his pocket for the millionth time to make sure that he still felt the warm, solid weight that helped settle his churning stomach — a small, velvet box. Lights from the city reflected off the river and spilled in through the expansive floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a calming blue glow over Jack and Bitty's table. Jack took a deep breath.

“Bits, I have a question,” he began before he could talk himself out of it.

“Sure, sweetie, what is it?” Bitty replied, smiling at Jack as he took his hand. Jack swallowed.

He and Bitty had been together for three years now and they were ready for this, he reminded himself. Bitty was finished with school and his bakery was doing well, and he was more than settled into Jack’s apartment by now. Getting married was simply the next step for them. They were ready.

Taking a deep breath, he opened his mouth, and was interrupted by an excited shriek a few tables over.

“Yes, yes, oh my god, a _thousand times yes!_ ” a woman at the table screamed, her right hand coming up to her mouth. The other woman was smiling widely, putting a ring on her girlfriend’s finger. As Jack looked on in horror, the whole restaurant began to clap for the happy couple. Bitty took his hand from Jack’s and began clapping as well, a beam breaking out across his face.

Jack groaned, letting his head thump against the table. Bitty swatted at his arm, hissing _“Jack!”_ out of the corner of his mouth. Realizing what it must’ve looked like, Jack’s head shot up.

About half of the restaurant was glaring at him. Jack began to sweat. “Oh, no, that’s not— I didn’t do that because of _them_ , I —”

He cut himself off. Jack couldn’t easily announce his own plans to propose before he’d actually done it. By this point, most of the restaurant had turned back to their meals, but Bitty was still glaring at Jack. “I’m sorry, Bits, it wasn’t them, it was…”

“What? You don’t like public proposals?” Bitty said, sounding hurt, and Jack winced.

“No no no, I like them just fine, I just, uh,” Jack paused, scrambling for a plausible lie. After thinking for a second, he still didn’t have anything good. He panicked and blurted the first thing that came to his head. “I got a text from Marty, and I’ve got to show up to the rink early tomorrow. For, uh. Drills.”

Jack tried to keep his face as normal as possible as he mentally smacked himself. He _did_ have to go in early tomorrow to work on drills, but he didn’t actually mind at all and Bitty most definitely knew that.

Bitty gave him a skeptical look but thankfully didn’t call him out. “...Alright. Maybe next time you should try not to do that right after a proposal, huh? I can still feel half the restaurant glaring at us.”

“Sorry, Bits.” Jack said, looking dejectedly down at his glass of water. The ring in his pocket no longer felt like a warm, comforting weight, but rather a heavy, sinking stone.

Bitty opened his mouth to respond when a man with a nametag that said Gregory (and then under that the word manager) walked over to their table, giving the both of them a stiff smile. “Good evening, gentlemen. I’d like to inform you,” and now he was looking exclusively at Jack, “that this establishment has no tolerance for blatant displays of bigotry in any form.”

Jack was thoroughly confused. “Excuse me?” he asked, a frown overtaking his face. Then, as realization dawned at the implication of the man’s words, he laughed. “Oh, no, that wasn’t—”

Gregory did not look impressed. “I don’t need excuses, sir, I’m just asking that if you feel the need to express your… feelings on the the lifestyles of any of our clientele, you do so out of this restaurant.”

Jack began to shake his head before Gregory had even finished speaking. “I was upset because... of a work thing. Completely unrelated to the woman proposing to her girlfriend, I swear.”

Gregory did not look convinced. Jack sighed, shaking his head. He then pointed to Bitty. “He's my boyfriend. I don’t have a problem with gay people, really.”

Gregory looked to Bitty now, seemingly for confirmation. Bitty nodded enthusiastically, and Gregory nodded slowly in response, staring Jack down as if he was still skeptical. Jack swallowed awkwardly, not knowing what to do.

Gregory relented, huffing out an annoyed breath. “I’ll let the chefs know that your order is no longer cancelled, then. Enjoy your meal.”

As the manager walked away, Bitty burst out laughing. Jack stared at him, his face a mess of horror and shock. “Oh my God.”

He’d just been accused of being a homophobe. While on a date with his boyfriend, whom he was planning to propose to. The cruel irony of the whole situation made him want to scream, along with the fact that someone else had beat him to the punch.

Bitty, still laughing, patted Jack’s hand in sympathy, using his other to wipe away tears.

 

* * *

  

Jack may not have been the best at cooking, but he was decent enough to make a passable meal, and it was clear that he needed a more private setting if he was going to have any success with proposing to Bitty.

He’d turned off his cellphone, made sure Bitty left his on the charger in their bedroom, and he’d unplugged all of the house phones. None of their friends were in the area today and neither of them had recently ordered a package, so he didn't have to worry about that being a problem, and it was a Sunday, so the mail wouldn't come today, either.

They were nearly finished eating and Bitty had just finished telling Jack about his day at the bakery. Jack looked at his boyfriend, taking in his lips, pulled up in a small grin, his button nose, and finally his big brown eyes pointed directly at Jack. He took a deep breath once again, and began to speak.

“Bitty,” Jack said. “Will you–”

_Ding, Dong!_

“ _Crisse_ ,” Jack muttered. He rested his head in his hands for a second before slowly sliding his chair back and walking towards the door. As he swung the door open, ready to chew someone out, he was met with his parents’ smiling faces.

“Surprise!” Bob cheered, throwing his arms out.

Jack stared.

Alicia said, “Aren't you going to invite us in?”

“Is that the rest of the Zimmermanns? Oh my goodness!” Bitty shot up from the table and past Jack, pulling Alicia and then Bob into a hug. “It's wonderful to see y’all! Come in, come in!”

Bitty ushered Jack’s parents into their home and Jack shut the door, face blank.

“Sorry for the surprise, we tried to call and let you both know that we were on our way when our flight landed, but no one answered,” Bob said. Bitty frowned and Jack quietly groaned. He should’ve kept at least one phone with him.

“That’s weird. I’ll have to check and make sure nothing’s wrong with the home phones,” Bitty said.

Jack stood in the middle of his living room, trying to make sense in his head of what was happening. The past five minutes were a blur. He could hardly breathe, and he really needed to sit down.

“Jack? Are you okay?” Alicia asked, putting a gentle hand on his arm. Jack blinked and nodded.

“I’m,” he heard himself say. “Yes. I’m fine.”

“Are you sure, honey? Your face is pale.” Alicia placed a hand on his forehead. “Hmm, you don’t feel too warm, just a bit sweaty.”

“I’m fine, Maman,” Jack said.

“Have y’all eaten anything yet? Me and Jack just finished with dinner, but I can whip something up real quick,” Bitty offered, already halfway to the kitchen.

“That’s alright, Eric, we’ve already eaten,” Alicia replied, slipping off her coat and hanging it by the door.

“I wouldn’t turn down a piece of pie if you have any, though! The one you posted to Twitter earlier today looked amazing,” Bob said.

Bitty laughed, a blush rising on his cheeks. “One slice of pie, coming right up.”

“Well if Bob’s having one, put me down for a slice, too,” Alicia said.

“Two slices of pie. Y’all make yourselves right at home, I’ll have those out in a jiffy.” Bitty looked to Jack. “Sweetheart, do you want a slice?”

“I’m okay, Bits. Thanks,” Jack replied. He grabbed his parents’ bags and took them into the guest room. Setting the bags by the closet, he slumped down on the bed with a deep sigh. He pulled the ring box out of his pocket and gently opened the lid, staring down at the silver ring inside with a sinking feeling in his gut.

He didn’t like to be superstitious, but he couldn’t deny that he was. It was part of his profession. Maybe he and Bitty weren’t meant to get married? It felt like everything was working against them. Maybe Jack should’ve waited longer before buying the ring, should’ve tested Bitty a little more on his feelings about getting married. Things had just been going so well for the past few years, and he’d already gotten more than a few hints from both the Bittles and his own parents that they had no qualms about them taking the next step.

And Bitty. He’d never outright asked Jack if he wanted to get married, but he’d made it very clear that it was something he wanted with someone one day. But… what if he didn’t want it with _Jack_? What if he wanted more experience before committing to one relationship for life?

“You’re thinking too much.”

Jack’s head shot up, meeting his mother’s eyes. Alicia pushed herself off of the doorframe she’d been leaning on and closed the door.

“Eric loves you, Jack.” Alicia said, walking over to the bed and taking a seat next to him. « Why didn’t you tell your father and I that you were going to propose tonight? We wouldn’t have interrupted if we knew. »

« I — I forgot to, honestly. There’s been a lot going on lately. » Jack sighed, debating on whether or not he should tell his mother the real reason he’s been on edge. _No more secrets,_ he reminded himself. That was what they had agreed on all those years ago, and it’s never proved to be a bad promise. Steeling himself, he said, « And… I’m worried he might say no. »

Alicia frowned, grabbing Jack’s hand and squeezing it. « Why are you worried about that? He loves you, baby. You two are perfect for each other. »

« I know that, but… » He closed his eyes and rubbed his free palm against his jeans. « It keeps getting interrupted and — What if I’m not ready? What if _Bits_ isn’t ready? What if he wants more experience before― »

« You know that he only has eyes for you. He’s as in love with you as he is with baking. Maybe even more than he is with baking, » she said, pulling a slight chuckle out of Jack. « I’m serious, though, Jack. If you ask him, he’s going to say yes. »

« But what if― »

« He’s going to say yes. He’s ready, and so are you, » Alicia said, looking Jack in the eyes. « And no matter what happens, you know that you have so many people that love and support you and will always be there for you. Bitty included. Even if for some reason he wasn’t ready. »

Jack gave his mom a soft smile and squeezed her hand once before letting go, already feeling a little better. She always knew how to calm him down, and to get him to realize that sometimes his fears were completely irrational. And even if they were rational, he had people that would help him with the aftermath if things went the wrong way.

« Thanks, Mom. I love you. » Jack said.

« I love you too, sweetheart, » Alicia replied. She stood up from the bed and smoothed out her dress, and Jack followed behind her. « Now, let’s go eat some pie, huh? »

 

* * *

 

A cool, gentle breeze blew across Jack's face and ruffled the hair uncovered by his beanie as he opened the door to the rink and stepped onto the ice. Bitty would be here soon, and it would be the first time Jack had seen him in a week and a half; he had been visiting his family in Georgia and Jack was too tied up with games to come along.

Jack's stomach churned and his hands held a slight tremor. He always reacted this way when he first got on the ice, but this time was different. He patted his jacket pocket, and being sure that the ring was there, he took a few laps around the ice to try and skate away some of his nerves. As he skated around center ice, he imagined where he'd be in a few hours, on one knee, ring box open wide and pointed right at Bitty.

Bitty’s flight was meant to get in a few hours before their rink time. He called Jack to let him know that his flight was going to be delayed a bit due to a bad thunderstorm that would take a while to pass; it would still work out, though, Bitty assured. He would just be a little bit late to the rink.

An hour after their rink time had already began, Jack’s phone rang and a picture of Suzanne Bittle popped up on the screen. He answered the phone, and immediately he was bombarded with tearful apologies in Bitty’s voice.

He was already skating off the ice before Bitty could finish talking. Jack had no idea what was happening because he couldn’t understand a single word Bitty was saying, but from that alone he knew that whatever it was, it was bad.

“Calm down, Bits. Take a deep breath, okay? What happened? Are you okay?” Jack could feel his pulse in his throat as he made his way back to the locker room as quickly as he could.

Bitty took in a shuddering breath on the other end of the line. _“Yeah, I’m — I’m so sorry, honey, I was going to call and tell you my flight got cancelled but then my phone died and then Coach slipped and fell on the pavement outside and then I had to — had to drive him and Mama to the hospital because Mama was holding the towel on his head and there was a lot of blood and — I’m so scared, Jack—”_

“Eric, take a deep breath, okay? Can you do that for me?” Jack repeated, taking off his skates and slipping on his tennis shoes. He grabbed his jacket and his keys and headed out the doors. Bitty sounded close to a panic attack, and Jack hated that he wasn’t there to comfort him. “Is Coach okay?”

_“He’s— he hit his head, and I don’t — The doctors haven’t told us much.”_

“Alright. Are you okay?”

Bitty paused on the other end, long enough to cause Jack to begin to worry. _“I don’t know,”_ he said, his voice choked.

Jack’s stomach dropped to his feet at those words.

“What about your mom?” He reached his car and opened his trunk to make sure he still had his emergency duffel. Seeing the bag, he quickly got in the car and put the key in the ignition.

_“She’s doing okay. She’s calling everyone else right now.”_

“Good. I’m heading to you right now, okay? I’ll be there soon,” Jack said. For both his and Bitty’s sake, he then added, “It’ll be okay.”

_“Sweetheart, you don’t have to do that. I’ll be—”_

“I want to. I’ll be there as soon as I can,” Jack insisted.

Bitty was silent on the other end for a minute. Jack wished more than anything that he could see his face right now, wished that he could convince him that everything would turn out alright. _“Okay. I love you.”_

“Love you too.” Jack hung up and sped out of the parking lot, breaking about ten different traffic laws. He managed to get to Georgia four hours later, catching a flight to Atlanta and then driving the rest of the way to Madison in a rental car.

As soon as he entered the waiting room, he had an armful of shaking Bitty. He held on just as tight, ignoring the looks they got from some people as he pressed soft kisses into Bitty’s hair. He rubbed a hand down Bitty’s back, muttering comforting words quiet enough that only Bitty could hear.

Once Bitty pulled away, Suzanne pulled Jack into a hug of her own. She then took a step back but kept her hands on his arms, giving him a watery smile. “It’s good to see you, sweetheart.”

“It’s good to see you too, Mrs. Bittle.”

She didn’t correct him, and that’s how he knew that she was shaken. He’d heard, “Call me Suzanne, honey, please!” way too many times to count, now, whenever he even thought about calling her Mrs. Bittle.

They sat down, Bitty resting his head on Jack’s shoulder and Suzanne on Bitty’s other side. No one said a word, but Jack grabbed Bitty’s hand and began to stroke small patterns with his thumb, a technique that Bitty often used for him when his anxiety was becoming overwhelming. Bitty sighed shakily and turned his face into Jack’s shoulder.

An hour later, all they knew was that Coach was out of surgery and stable, but they were still doing tests and no one was allowed to see him yet.

“I’m going to the bathroom, I’ll be right back,” Bitty said, rubbing a hand across his face. He squeezed Jack’s hand once then stood up and headed towards the restrooms. Jack decided not to follow him to check and see if he was okay, even though he wanted nothing more than to be able to comfort him in private, away from all of the nosy eyes and judgemental stares. Bitty probably needed a moment to be alone. Jack had to let him have that.

“I’m so sorry, Jack! Lord, Dicky’s daddy always does pick the best times to cause a fuss,” Suzanne whispered once Bitty was out of sight, still peeking around the corner as if she expected him to come back into the room any second. She gave him a soft smile. “How were you planning on doing it?”

“Uh,” Jack said.

“I felt the ring in your jacket pocket when I hugged you,” Suzanne explained. Jack felt his pocket, and sure enough, it was still there. “So? How were you going to do it?”

“Well, this time my plan was to take him skating, and I was going to propose center ice. But, uh,” Jack coughed. “There have been other times. This is my third.”

“Your _third try_? Oh, honey,” Suzanne said, laying a hand on Jack’s shoulder in sympathy. She couldn't say much more than that, though, because Bitty returned at that moment, scrubbing at his red, puffy eyes.

“Mon ange,” Jack muttered, pulling Bitty into another hug. Tears soaked through his shirt, and he began to rub Bitty’s trembling back slowly.

Jack hated hospitals. He hated every single thing about them: the smell, the way the bright fluorescent lights cast a dull white glow on everything and everyone, the tile floors that were ice cold on bare feet. It all reminded him of his own time spent in a hospital bed, convinced that he’d ruined the rest of his and his parents’ lives. He’d spent enough time in a hospital to last him a lifetime. Being here made Jack anxious to no end, reminded him of how easily he could slip back into the life he had before Samwell.

But he wouldn’t even think of leaving Bitty there alone. In fact, he was glad to be there to comfort his boyfriend, glad to be able to make the whole experience a little less awful.

~

Coach only stayed in the hospital for one night so that he could be monitored, and he was released the next day with a moderate concussion. He’d cut his head during the fall, but luckily it was only a surface wound and didn’t cause any internal bleeding. Jack and Bitty spent a week at the Bittle house to help Suzanne take care of Coach, and Bitty wanted to stay for another, but Suzanne convinced them to head home on Valentine’s Day.

They caught a flight back to Providence in the late afternoon, and by the time they got home, both of them were completely exhausted.

“I’m too tired to celebrate,” Bitty said, and Jack nodded in agreement. “Maybe,” a yawn interrupted his sentence, “Maybe tomorrow we can go grab dinner, or if I’m feeling up to it I’ll make you something nice. Is that okay?”

“Of course,” Jack said, giving Bitty a soft kiss. “How about we go out? I’d like to treat you.”

Bitty, surprisingly, didn't argue; in fact, he looked somewhat relieved. He must've been exhausted. “Even better, how about we order Chinese and watch a movie?”

Bitty's pupils dilated. “Jack, I love you so much. If I weren't painfully tired right now, I’d throw you on that bed right there and blow you until you couldn't see straight.”

Jack groaned. God, Bitty was good at dirty talk. It almost wasn't fair. “Tomorrow, eh?”

“For sure,” Bitty replied, taking off his pants and tossing them in the hamper. He pulled back the covers and sat on the bed, then moaned miserably and stood right back up, dragging his feet as he walked to the door. “Forgot to brush my teeth, be right back,” he muttered.

Once Jack heard the tap running, he took the ring out of his duffel and returned it to his sock drawer, staring dejectedly at it for a long minute. He’d get it right, eventually.

 

* * *

 

“Do you want to go on a picnic?” Jack blurted, setting his half-eaten piece of toast down. Bitty looked up at him, mouth full of eggs and grits.

“I,” Jack started. “I don’t have practice today. Or well. Actually it’s a free skate but. I want to spend the day with you, if that’s okay. Since the bakery isn’t open and all.”

Bitty swallowed, nodding as he did. “Of course, honey! That sounds great. As soon as I finish eating, I’ll start on the sandwiches —”

“Actually,” Jack interjected, “I’ve, uh. Already got everything made. Unless you want to remake anything, or.”

Bitty blinked. Jack swallowed. “Oh, sweetie, no, that’s fine! I guess I’ll just go get ready then.”

“Haha. Okay. I’m gonna,” Jack pointed at the kitchen with his thumb, “do the dishes. Take your time.”

As soon as he heard Bitty turn the shower on, Jack took a deep breath. He went over his speech in his head over and over again as he scrubbed grits out of a pot, until his phone lit up on the counter with a message from his mother.

_(Even though you don’t need it) good luck today, sweetheart! Your Papa and I love you both very much. :)_

Jack smiled and some of his nerves settled. It would be okay.

~

It was not okay. The weather was decent, and Jack didn’t forget anything — he was chirped by almost everyone for making checklists, but they came in handy — and the food turned out okay. The sandwiches didn’t get soggy, the chips weren’t crushed, and he thought that he cut the fruit nicely enough. Overall, he was pretty proud of himself.

But he didn’t think about how many people might have also been planning to spend a day in the park. Which was a lot of people, he found out as they struggled to find a place to set up.

“We could just try another time?” Bitty suggested as they made their third round through the park.

“A spot will clear up eventually,” Jack said, eyes scanning the surrounding area.

“Are you sure you don’t want to just try again later?” Bitty asked. His voice made Jack pause.

Jack looked at him, taking in his tired eyes, his lips turned slightly downward, showing his annoyance loud and clear, better than words could. God, this was Bitty’s day and he was stressing him out. He was the worst boyfriend ever. “Are you tired? I’m sorry, Bits. Do you want to go wait in the car while I find us a place?”

“How about this,” Bitty said. “Why don’t we _both_ go back to the car and eat there? It’s a little chilly out here anyhow.”

“It’s March.”

“Exactly, and just barely at that,” Bitty replied, his tone daring Jack to try and chirp him. “Come on, Mr. Zimmermann, let’s go find our car.”

Bitty linked his arm with Jack’s and they began the trek back to the parking lot. And, well. If that was what Bitty wanted to do, then Jack would have to make it work.

Proposing in a car wasn’t very romantic, though, so he decided to take Bitty to a movie later in the evening at the theater near their house, and then do it on the walk home. There happened to be a beautiful fountain that Jack ran by every morning that was between the theater and their apartment building, and he thought it would be the perfect place to pop the question.

~

He spent the entire movie reciting his proposal speech in his head, so he didn't catch much of what was going on in the film. He probably wouldn’t have understood it even if he _did_ watch, but Bitty was happy, and that was all that mattered.

They were currently on the walk home, and Jack felt like he could pass out.

Once again, Jack had the ring in his pocket. He fiddled with the box, turning it over and over in his hand, a nervous habit. Bitty was babbling on about the movie and Jack listened attentively, trying his hardest to keep up.

Bitty would occasionally snap a picture of the street, Jack, or their feet to post to Twitter or Snapchat or Instagram, and Jack found that it helped settle his nerves a bit. This was him and Bitty, this was what it would be like for the rest of their lives. Hopefully with pictures of their kids being snapped and posted, too, one day.

He realized that they were nearing the fountain. Now was the time.

Jack took a deep breath and stopped. “Bitty?”

His phone vibrated in his pocket, but he ignored it, holding the ring box in his hand, prepared to pull it out as soon as he caught Bitty’s eye. Now, if he could just get him to actually look at _him_  instead of his _phone_.

“Oh my _God!_ ”

Jack frowned. He was sure that whatever it was couldn't possibly be more important than Jack proposing. Not that Bitty knew that was what he was trying to do, but still.

“Jack! Oh my God, oh my God! Check your phone! I’m so happy for them!” Bitty exclaimed, smacking Jack’s arm, still staring down at his phone with wide eyes.

Jack sighed and pulled out his phone, turning on the screen. Nursey had sent a picture of his hand to the group chat, and Jack’s heart stopped as he saw what was on his finger.

A fucking _ring._

Jack kept his reaction inside, typing out a quick congratulations and shoving his phone back into his pocket.

“That's great, I’m really happy for them,” Jack said, not at all convincing, but Bitty was too distracted — thumbs violently tapping away at his screen— to notice. Jack was thankful.

“I know, right? I _love_ proposal stories. Remind me to get the story out of them later,” Bitty said, shoving his phone in his pocket and smiling at him. Jack smiled back, and it was only half-forced. It wasn't Bitty’s fault that Dex decided to propose tonight, and it wasn't Dex’s fault that he managed to do it before Jack did. Jack had no one to be mad at but himself.

He glared at the fountain as they passed it, deciding to put some of the blame on it anyway. He would’ve been able to do it before Dex if the fountain would have been closer to the theater.

 

* * *

  

Jack took Bitty to a small cafe similar to Annie’s to get coffee early in the morning, when it was still a bit chilly according to Bitty, dew still covering the grass. They sat outside on a park bench, drinking their coffee as Bitty talked about a new recipe he’d seen on Pinterest that he wanted to try out. He had on a beanie and Jack’s Falconers sweatshirt, and his cheeks were red from a sunburn he'd gotten a few days prior. He looked beautiful, and Jack had to struggle not to lean forward and kiss him.

He could feel the ring box in his pocket, and he rubbed his thumb over the velvet. Now was the time.

Jack inhaled deeply and said, “Bitty, I have something I need to—”

_Ring_. God damn it. _Ring._

Jack pulled his phone out of his pocket and groaned when he saw who was calling. Tater could talk for hours, and if Jack didn’t answer he’d just call again until Jack did. He didn’t need his phone’s constant ringing to ruin his proposal speech. “I’m so sorry, I should take this or he’ll just keep calling.”

Bitty just smiled and nodded. “I understand, honey, I’ll wait right here.”

He pressed the answer button as he walked away, out of hearing range. He turned around to look back at Bitty, and when they met each other’s eyes, Bitty gave him a little wave, and Jack waved back, his anger diminishing just a little bit. As he waited for the line to connect, he reminded himself to let Tater know how lucky he was that Jack’s boyfriend was so adorable.

“ _Zimmboni! You are doing good?_ ” Tater said once the line connected, much too cheerful for Jack to handle right now.

“Yes, Tater. I was just on a date with Bitty, I was about to—”

_“Bitty! He doing good too? Tell him send Tater pie, okay? Love baker boyfriend! Better watch out or I’m steal him one day.”_

Jack sighed. “Tater, I was going to—”

_“Oh no, I’m not interrupt make out, do I? Sorry, Zimmboni, I’m did not know!”_

“No, we weren’t —” Jack groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Tater, I was about to propose when you called.”

Tater shouted in joy on the other end of the line and Jack pulled the phone away from his ear. _“Hey! Congratulations, Zimmboni! We celebrate next time see each other after practice, okay?”_

“I haven’t done it yet. Your call interrupted me.” Jack said, trying his hardest to stay patient.

_“Well when you do we celebrate with pie! Other baked things too! And I’m take both you and baker_ fiancé _out for meal, treat from me!_ ” Tater said, putting emphasis on the word _fiancé_.

Jack nodded, fighting back a grin despite his frustration. It was very satisfying to hear someone call Bitty his fiancé, even if it wasn't official yet. “Alright, Tater, fine. I’ve gotta go now. I’ll call you back later.”

_“Yes, Zimmboni! Go, Zimmboni! Don’t know why you on phone with Tater when you on date with baker boyfriend anyway.”_

Jack hung up, shaking his head. Bitty looked amused as Jack sat back down. “Everything alright?”

Jack wanted to say no, wanted to say that he’d almost proposed but was interrupted again, but instead he said, “Yeah, just Tater being Tater. He said he wants you to send him another pie.”

Bitty snorted. “Oh please, if I send that man any more pies, his nutritionist will _murder_ me.”

Jack laughed. “Yeah, probably. And I like you alive, so don't do that.”

“You do, do you?” Bitty said, looking up at Jack and leaning in as if he was about to kiss him. Jack’s breath caught, even though Bitty had kissed him a thousand times at this point. He hovered above Jack’s lips and spoke, “We should probably start heading home, I’ve got to get to work soon.”

The words vibrated on Jack’s lips because of the closeness of their mouths. He then pulled away with a smirk. _Tease._

Bitty stood up and began to walk away, putting a little sway in his hips. Jack followed, grabbing him by the waist, stopping them both and twisting him around. Jack smiled down at Bitty and leaned in. Their lips touched, Bitty’s soft and warm against Jack’s, and as they pulled away and continued their walk home hand-in-hand, Jack preened at the blush on Bitty’s cheeks.

“Any chance you could go in late today?” Jack tried, though he knew the answer already.

“Considering I’m the only person with a pair of keys? I don’t think so. But don’t worry,” Bitty said, his voice taking on a suggestive edge, “I’ll make it up to you later.”

Jack was still annoyed at Tater, but that promise was more than enough for him to get over it for now.

 

* * *

 

 

Jack had a bad day.

Practice was rough, Jack was not at his best, and it was evident in all of his missed shots and bad passes. The team played a scrimmage and Jack’s team lost, mostly due to him, though they all tried to deny it.

His mind had been focused on other things. Namely the fact that he’d had Bitty’s ring for almost four months now and he still had not successfully proposed. It was driving him wild.

He had his speech memorized at this point, could say it in his sleep, and he knew that it was probably going to make Bitty cry. Which, admittedly, wasn't saying much, but still. He was really proud of it.

But it didn't do either of them any good if Jack couldn't say it to _Bitty_.

So Jack was more than a little bit frustrated as he entered his and Bitty’s apartment and threw himself down on the couch with a huff.

“Sweetheart, did I just hear you come in?” Bitty called from the kitchen, pausing his music.

“Yeah, I’m in the living room,” Jack called back, turning on the television and putting it on mute. He didn't feel like actually paying attention to anything, but something to stare at would be nice. He zoned out, reciting his proposal speech in his head over and over again like he’d done so many times before. A dip in the couch alerted him to Bitty’s presence. Jack looked over at him.

Bitty gave him a sweet smile and Jack couldn't help the smile that he reciprocated.

“Hi,” Bitty said, leaning in close until their noses almost touched.

“Hey,” Jack said back, pecking Bitty's lips.

“Rough day?” Bitty asked, resting his head on Jack’s chest and turning his attention to the muted television. There was a stunning wedding cake on the screen because of course there was. Jack was just that lucky. He didn't know what show it was, but he did know that it was one of Bitty’s favorite baking competition programs that he didn't understand one bit.

“Ouais,” Jack replied. “Lost a scrimmage. Kept missing shots.”

Bitty hummed a sympathetic noise. “I’m sorry, honey. I’ve got a pie in the oven right now, maybe that'll help.” Bitty leaned back to look at him. “Something else on your mind?”

Jack sighed. “Just… anxiety has been eating at me lately. Nothing big.”

Bitty frowned, worry clear on his face. “Do you need an adjustment made to your prescription? You know the doctor did say that sometimes they might need to make changes if you were particularly stressed out, and that’s okay.”

“No, Bits, my prescription is fine,” Jack interrupted, a smile slowly overtaking his face. Bitty was so caring, so sweet, and Jack loved him so much. “Je t’aime.” He punctuated the words with a soft kiss.

“I love you more,” Bitty said against Jack's lips.

“C’est toi qui j’aime le plus,” Jack muttered back, kissing the edge of Bitty’s mouth.

“Mr. Zimmermann, you know my French is horrible. Quit teasing me,” Bitty replied, pulling away from Jack.

“I love you most,” Jack translated, leaning back in and kissing the curve of Bitty’s jaw. “And I’m not teasing. Promise. Sometimes it just slips.”

Jack moved to Bitty’s lips and grazed them with his own. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

“Jack, honey, I’m almost certain that’s hardly true,” Bitty giggled, a blush rising bright red on his cheeks.

“Non, mon amour, I mean it,” Jack said. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you, do you know that? If it's okay with you, of course.”

He looked down at his and Bitty’s joined fingers and thought about how nice they would look with matching silver bands.

“I would like nothing more than to spend the rest of my days with you, Mr. Zimmermann, but what brings this on, huh?” Bitty’s grin was wide and beautiful, and Jack felt it spread to his lips. Now was the right moment. He was certain this time like he hadn't ever been before.

“Will you marry me?” he asked, ignoring Bitty’s question in favor of asking his own.

Bitty gaped. “Are you serious?”

“Of course, Bits,” Jack laughed, his stomach filling with butterflies. He couldn't tell yet whether they were the good or the bad kind, though he was leaning towards the former.

“Like… You're asking?”

“Yeah, I’m asking.”

“Like this is you proposing?”

“Yes, Bitty, I’m proposing.”

“Oh, my _god! Ican’tbelievemyliferightnow!_ ” Bitty shrieked, throwing his arms around Jack’s shoulders. “Of course, sweetie, yes I’ll marry you, I love you so _much_ —” Jack only had a second to let out a breath of relief before Bitty’s mouth came crashing into his.

Jack smiled at his boyfriend– well, now fiancé– as they pulled away, but not for long because soon Bitty was pulling him into another enthusiastic kiss. He broke away and laughed as Bitty pulled him back in once again. There were tears streaming down Bitty’s cheeks, and Jack wiped them away with the pad of his thumb, earning him a wet laugh.

“Lord, I am a mess,” Bitty mumbled against Jack’s lips. They kissed for another minute, and Jack tried to pull away a few times, met with protests from Bitty.

“I need to,” Jack said, breaking away again only to be dragged into another kiss. “I need to get the ring.”

Bitty groaned in annoyance, finally letting Jack get up, but there was a blinding smile on his face, so Jack didn't feel too guilty. “Well, I guess. But you’re gonna have to make it up to me, Mr. Zimmermann. Leaving me all alone here, it’s gonna take _all night_ for you to make it up.”

Jack smiled, walking out of the room as quickly as he could so that he could return as soon as possible. He came back, velvet box in hand, and sat back down next to Bitty. “Will this be enough to make it up?”

He opened the box and Bitty gasped as he saw the ring, one hand going to his mouth and the other to his chest. His eyes were once again filling with tears, and Jack's heart clenched at the sight.

“It's gorgeous, Jack,” Bitty breathed. Jack pulled it out of the box and Bitty held out his hand. Both of their hands trembled as Jack slipped the ring onto Bitty’s finger.

“If I got the size wrong we can fix it, no problem,”Jack said, suddenly insecure.

“No, baby, it fits perfect. It’s perfect,” Bitty replied, admiring the way the light reflected off the gleaming silver. He then turned back to Jack, eyes wide, red and puffy. His fiancé had the most beautiful eyes, Jack thought to himself. His fiancé. It had a nice ring to it.

“I love you so much,” Bitty said.

“I love you more,” Jack replied.

“How long have you had the ring?” Bitty asked, then gasped, a hand coming to his mouth. “Is it rude to ask that? I'm sorry, sweetie, I just had no idea you’d even been planning to propose, and then here you are with this beautiful ring!”

“No, it’s okay,” Jack laughed. He took Bitty’s hand, and he may have been biased, but he thought that the ring was at least ten times prettier when it was on his fiancé’s finger. He smiled at Bitty, soft and full of relief. “But it’s sort of a long story.”

**Author's Note:**

> if y'all want to talk to me i'm birkholsters on tumblr!! thanks for reading :)


End file.
